Dear John
by dancermdh
Summary: When a new doctor begins her training in the ER at Rampart, will she catch Johnny's eye? Will these two be able to keep a relationship, unlike Gage's past girlfriends, or will it spiral downhill from crazy on-call hours and dangerous jobs?
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! This is my first FanFic ever. I've always loved the show "Emergency!" and I'm really excited about basing my own story off of the characters**. I do not own any of these characters except Dr. Valerie Parker or otherwise stated. **Also, I am not a doctor, nor have I ever been trained in the medical field, so my info such as vital signs, diagnostics, and prescriptions may not, and probably are not accurate. But I do try and do research beforehand so I can get as accurate as possible. If I do make a mistake, and you know the correct info, please let me know and I will change it! I want to make my story as accurate as possible! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my story! : )

Chapter 1

Dr. Brackett and I were finishing up our first set of rounds for the day. With this being my first day as an ER intern at Rampart General Hospital, I felt like I was doing very well. Just as we were passing the nurses' station, a pager began to go off, and a man's voice sounded, "Rampart, this is Squad 51, do you read me?" Dr. Brackett turned to me and said, "This is where we communicate with the paramedics on emergency scenes. Whatever you're doing, if this goes off, answer it. Unless that is, you are with a patient. Well, go ahead; you are here to learn by hands on experience, not just by observation." He motioned for me to take over the phone. I cautiously walked over to the piece of equipment. Many times had I seen doctors answer calls, but I couldn't believe I was now the one in charge. I pressed record on the tapes and answered the call, "This is Rampart, go ahead." Nurse McCall appeared next to me ready to write down the patient's vitals and symptoms.

"Rampart, we have a male, approximate age 55. He is suffering from extreme second and third degree burns on his arms, legs, and chest. His BP is 110 over 60, pulse is 23 and respiration is 16; Requesting an IV." I looked at Dr. Brackett; he just nodded his head to continue. I tried to hide my nervousness, and replied, "Squad 51, start a drip with Lactated Ringer's and administer 5mg MS-IV."

"10-4 IV with Ringer's and 5mg MS."

"10-4 51. What is your ETA?"

"ETA," there was a brief pause, "10 minutes."

"51, bring him straight to Treatment room 2." With finishing my last order I let out a sigh of relief. I did it; I didn't screw up. Dr. Brackett's face lit up with a smile, "Very well done Dr. Parker! You sounded like you've been doing that for years! Dix, could you set up a sterile room in Treatment room 2? Also alert the burn unit. Dr. Parker would you help?"

"Yes Dr. Brackett." I couldn't help but smile to myself. I actually did it right.

When Nurse McCall and I were in the room she turned to me, "Dr. Brackett was right, you did very well for your first time. I have a feeling that from now on you'll be working at the base station." I gave a soft laugh, "You know, I was extremely nervous out there. Dr. Brackett makes me nervous, the paramedics make me nervous, even I make myself nervous. I'm just afraid I'll make a mistake, and then it's not a good situation for anyone." Nurse McCall walked around the bed and patted my arm. "I always tell my nurses to just think of Dr. Brackett as a colleague and not your boss. He's there to help you learn, not to intimidate you or point out your flaws. As for the paramedics, those two from Squad 51 are the best in the business. Roy DeSoto is very good at his job, and really cares for his patients. And Johnny, he's the one you talked to over the phone, he is also really great, but I'd have to say he's a little girl crazy. He's dated half my nurses here at the hospital, but I don't know why, nothing ever works out. So, I'm just preparing you, with you here now, I wouldn't give it long before he notices you. Expect a phone call at least twice a day!" We were both laughing at this point. "Thank you Ms. McCall."

"Oh please honey, it's Dixie."

By this time, the ambulance attendants were wheeling in a gurney with a man on it. They were followed by a fireman carrying the IV that I had prescribed. I didn't hesitate with checking patients vitals. I pulled back the blanket. Nothing in the medical books would have prepared me for this. This man had blisters, charred skin, and even holes that revealed bone. All I could think about was that I was going to be sick. I closed my eyes and gripped the gurney to keep myself from falling over. Someone laid their hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see the paramedic talking to me, but couldn't hear anything. I pulled myself together and I could hear him asking me, "Are you alright?" I shook my head and answered yes. Without causing any more trouble, I went ahead with my examination, ignoring the natural instinct to be repulsed by the man's condition. By then Dr. Brackett was flying into the room, asking about the vitals. I replied that they had not changed.

"Dr. Parker, what do you suggest now, after all he is your patient."

"He needs to get to the burn unit, he's in critical condition." Everyone was standing around waiting his orders. "Well you all heard the doctor! Get him upstairs!" Now that everyone was rushing out of the room, I could take a moment to clear out my head. I didn't realize that Brackett was still in the room until I heard him say, "Dr. Parker, why don't you take a break and finish up his chart. I'll go upstairs with him." I was completely caught off guard. "Oh, sorry Dr. Brackett, I didn't know you were still here..."

"No, it's alright. You deserve a break anyway; you've done very well this morning."

The first thing I did was that I went and got a cup of coffee. The caffeine would help me take my mind off other things. I was sitting at the nurses' station finishing up the man's chart. Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and I looked up. Leaning against the nurses' station was a fireman; a very attractive fireman. He was tall, lean, well-tanned, and handsome. He spoke first, "Hi there. I've never seen you around here before." I smiled, "Yes, well this is my first day here in the ER at Rampart." The man extended his hand, "I'm John Gage, but everyone calls me Johnny." I shook his hand, "Valerie Parker, nice to meet you." I internally laughed thinking back to the words that Dixie told me, and I have to agree, that didn't take long at all. Another fireman walked up, and I was guessing that was Roy. He asked me, "Are you sure you're alright? You looked like you were going to pass out in there." I could feel the blood running to my face. "I'm fine; I was just caught off guard." He must have realized my embarrassment because he quickly changed the subject. He motioned towards Johnny, "I see you've already met my partner Johnny here," He extended his hand, "Roy DeSoto." I shook his hand, "Valerie Parker, nice to meet you. It's an honor to finally meet the famous paramedics that I hear are the best in the business." Johnny excited interjected, "Really? Is that so? Well, have you heard..." Before he could finish, one of the nurses, which I couldn't remember her name, walked up and handed me another chart. "Dr. Parker, Dixie said there's a child that needs stitches in Treatment room 1, and asked if you could cover it."

"Thank you…" I glanced at her name tag, "Angie. I'll cover it." Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Johnny's face dropping from that huge smile to a completely shocked expression. Johnny cleared his throat and stuttered, "Y-you're a doctor?" I laughed, "Just an intern though." As if we were saved by the bell, their handy-talkie went off, "Squad 51, are you available?"

"Squad 51, available," Roy replied.

"Squad 51 and Engine 51, unknown type of rescue. 456 Orange Grove Drive." Roy nodded his head and clapped Johnny on the back, shaking him out of his shock. "Johnny, we better get going, nice to meet you Dr. Parker." Johnny cleared his throat again, "Uh yes, nice to meet you... Dr. Parker" Just as they were started to turn, I laid my hand on Johnny's arm causing him to look back. I awkwardly laughed, "Please, it's just Valerie."


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! I want to say a quick thank you to everyone that wrote a review and to the ones that helped me fix several mistakes that I had made in my writing. For Chapter 2, I have decided to write in Johnny's POV. I was going to switch to Roy's POV at the end and make this chapter longer, but I thought it might get to confusing. Another thing is that I will be leaving for dance camp (a.k.a. hell on Earth) tomorrow and I will be back Sunday afternoon. Depending on how tired I am determines whether or not I will start on Chapter 3 Sunday or wait until Monday. Again, thanks for reading my story, and please review! I love getting reviews and knowing what you all think! : )

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Emergency!" or any of these characters except Dr. Valerie Parker.** Also, I am not a doctor, nor have I ever been trained in the medical field, so my info such as vital signs, diagnostics, and prescriptions may not, and probably are not accurate. But I do try and do research beforehand so I can get as accurate as possible. If I do make a mistake, and you know the correct info, please let me know and I will change it! I want to make my story as accurate as possible!

Chapter 2

Johnny's Point of View

My mind was spinning. For one I was angry that this "unknown rescue" was just a bunch of teenagers playing a joke on one another, and two was that I almost just asked out my boss. I know Dr. Parker, or Valerie isn't technically my boss. But as of now she is still one of the people in charge.

When Roy and I arrived back to the station I just sat in the Squad by myself for a moment with my mouth hanging open in shock. I could feel my body tense up when I suddenly sensed the presence of someone standing just to the right of me. I slowly turned my head to find Chet Kelly staring at me. "Hi'ya Johnny." I rolled my eyes in annoyance and answered back in a low, uninterested tone, "Hi Chet." Chet always would chime in when he knew something was wrong, just to aggravate me. I knew as long as I was going to sit here, Chet was just going to stand there and watch me. I got out of the Squad, rudely nudging Chet out of the way, and hastily made my way into the kitchen where I could smell Marco's chili cooking on the stove. I flopped myself down in chair at the table. Everyone turned to stare at me. Cap began looking around trying to judge each other's expressions and eventually sighed. "Alright Johnny, what wrong?"

"Why is it that you all always seem to think there's something wrong with me? See, I'm in a good mood." I smiled for more emphasis. Cap paused for a second not buying anything I said, and turned to Roy, "Roy, what's up with Johnny?" I looked at Roy and gave him a look that warned him not to say anything. Roy just laughed, "Well, to me it seems like Johnny's having some girl problems again. There's a new doctor in the ER at Rampart." Everyone looked confused. Of all people Chet questioned Roy's statements, "What does a new doctor have to do with Johnny's girl problems?" Roy emphasized, "SHE is the problem." Chet began chuckling, "This is great!"

"You know what Chet, I don't think this is all that funny," I snapped. Before Chet could reply, Cap asked, "Well John what's the problem? You never have any trouble like this with your nurses." I could hear Chet under his breath say, "Except for when they dump him." I shot him a look and continued on with answering Cap's question, "That's the thing; I always go for nurses…not doctors. See a doctor wants to date another doctor, not a paramedic."

"That's ridiculous, you don't know anything about who she wants to date. You just met her 30 minutes ago. I mean she's still a pretty girl, right?"

"Yeah, of course. If she wasn't we wouldn't be discussing this now would we?"

"Then give it a shot. What's the worst thing that could happen?" Once again, Chet interjected, "Yeah Gage, what is the worst thing that could happen? You've already been turned down a dumped enough." I shot him another look, but before I could say anything they alarm sounded. "Station 51 and Engine 8, structure fire. 1013 Industrial Parkway. Timeout 12:30." I quickly forgot about all of my problems and focused on the fire we were responding to. I ran and got in the Squad just as I was hearing Cap say, "Station 51, KMG-365." By the time I had my helmet on, Roy had already started the Squad and we were heading out to our second call of the day.

We were about half way there when we heard the dispatcher over our radio say, "Squad 51, cancel. Squad 45 is responding." Both Roy and I sighed, "Not again." Roy replied, "Well, let's make some use of our time and stop by Rampart for more supplies. We didn't get any last time we were there." I looked out the window to see Roy pulling into Rampart Emergency. I was not about to go in there and almost make a fool out of myself again. "Roy, why don't you go in and I'll stay out here and organize some of these records." Roy suspiciously looked at me, "You never volunteer to organize the records."

"Well consider this your lucky day."


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! I've been MIA a lot longer than I expected… Thanks to school, dance, college visits and applying to colleges/scholarships, I have been so busy these last couple of months. But I am happy to say I am finished with half of my senior year and have decided where I am going college! Now I have to move onto finding major, which stresses me out even more. Anyway, I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter (which was some time ago...) and to anyone who will continue reading my story even though it has been much delayed. Enjoy : )

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Emergency!" or any of these characters except Dr. Valerie Parker.** Also, I am not a doctor, nor have I ever been trained in the medical field, so my info such as vital signs, diagnostics, and prescriptions may not, and probably are not accurate. But I do try and do research beforehand so I can get as accurate as possible. If I do make a mistake, and you know the correct info, please let me know and I will change it! I want to make my story as accurate as possible!

Chapter 3

Roy's Point of View

Johnny turned and looked at me, "Well consider this your lucky day." I just shook my head and continued into Rampart's Emergency Entrance. I have been working with Johnny for over four years, and I still can't figure out how his brain works. I don't think anyone can for that matter. For one moment, he could be completely against something, but then in a split second, he could change his mind. But the thing that has me confused is that he has never acted like this around a girl before. Yeah, he thought he could fool me with this whole, "I'll organize the records" trade-off, but I know him better than he thinks. Then again, this is John Gage we are talking about here. One of the most unpredictable people I know.

I walked up to the nurses' station to find Dixie writing away on a medical chart.

"Hi Dix."

"Oh, hi Roy. What can I help you with?"

"Um, I'm just here for some supplies." I reached in the supply cabinet to grab a couple bags of D5W and Ringer's Lactate.

"Oh, okay. Would you like a cup of coffee while you're here?"

"Normally I would, I better not today; Johnny's waiting out in the squad."

"In the squad? What's Johnny doing in the squad? He never stays out there by himself.." She trailed off. I shrugged.

"He volunteered to organize the records." I lifted my eyebrows and shook my head, "Something, or should I say someone, is really getting to him…" I looked down the hallway to see Dr. Parker and Dr. Brackett talking to an elderly couple. Dixie followed my gaze and laughed, "What? Valerie? Wait, so you're telling me THE John Gage is having girl troubles, again?"

I shook my head in response and answered her sarcastically, "Surprisingly, I am.. He wants to ask her out, but says he only dates nurses. So, you can understand the predicament he's in."

Dixie laughed again, "Well you can tell Johnny, Valerie hasn't quit asking about him since he left. But I wouldn't suggest telling him the information that the other nurses have been feeding her, which might make him uneasy..."

I smiled and shrugged, "We'll see what happens. Thanks Dixie!" And with that I turned and headed to the exit. Within the short minute that it took to get to the squad, I debated on what I should tell Johnny, or if I should even tell him anything at all? Maybe create a little dramatic entertainment for the guys at the station. But then I remembered that I had to spend most of the time with him, and if either of us was in a bad mood, it affected the other.

After returning the drugs to the drug box, I mentally prepared myself for the wave of questions that were going to be thrown at me. And sure enough, and soon as I opened the squad's door the obvious question was thrown at me by an anxious Johnny.

"Did you see Valerie?"

I answered in a monotone voice, "No, I did not see Dr. Parker." Johnny paused, and for a second I almost thought he would drop the subject completely.

"…So you didn't see her at all?" I sighed. Of course he wasn't going to drop the subject.

"No, Johnny, I didn't see her. But I did talk Dixie, and she mentioned Dr. Parker."

"Well go on, what did she say?" I had never seen Johnny respond back so fast before, and he was acting like a 4th grade boy. But deep down, I felt bad for him. Maybe she could be the one for Johnny? So, I broke down, "She said Dr. Parker had asked about you. But I must warn you, some other nurses are telling her what they really think about you…"

Johnny shrugged, "Well that's nothing a fancy dinner can clear up." I was shocked at his sudden spurt of arrogance, so I decided to change the subject before his head got too big and his helmet wouldn't be able to fit.

"So, Johnny, what about those organized records?" Johnny's mouth dropped open and he looked on the seat to his left. I too looked down at the seat, and there sat a pile of papers, exactly where I left them. I glanced back up to Johnny who sheepishly smiled and shrugged. I shook my head as I started the squad, "I'm never letting you organize the records again."


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again everyone! I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter (even though I panicked for a while since I couldn't read them while FanFiction was going through maintenance) and I hope you enjoy this chapter! (Which is written in both Valerie's and Johnny's POV)

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Emergency!" or any of these characters except Dr. Valerie Parker.** Also, I am not a doctor, nor have I ever been trained in the medical field, so my info such as vital signs, diagnostics, and prescriptions may not, and probably are not accurate. But I do try and do research beforehand so I can get as accurate as possible. If I do make a mistake, and you know the correct info, please let me know and I will change it! I want to make my story as accurate as possible!

Chapter 4

Valerie's Point of View

It was the end of my first week at Rampart General and I was very surprised how much I was learning, and truly enjoying the setting and people I was meeting and interacting with. The staff was great especially Dixie and Dr. Early. They both seemed to take me under their wing and appeared to have unlimited amounts of advice. Dr. Brackett also added to this, but being the attending doctor he also had a lot of things to criticize. I didn't mind though because anything he pointed out and condemned only made me a stronger doctor. Dr. Morton on the other hand I was still unsure of. From the way he's interacted with me, I think he feels that I may be some competition. He also won't pass up the chance to remind me that I am only in my first year of residency. Even though I may have some hostile emotions directed towards me from Dr. Morton, one group in particular who seem to really enjoy my company are the paramedics. Especially the single ones. I feel like a new class pet for a group of kindergarteners. It's a little intimidating, every time they come in from a run, someone always asks what I'm doing that night or the next. Don't get me wrong, they are extremely nice and all around great guys, but one in particular has been on my mind a lot lately.

I hadn't seen Johnny Gage since the first time I had met him. I would have thought he was avoiding me except they didn't get any other runs that day and I was off of work during his next shift (supposedly). I had also hoped I didn't scare him off when a nurse referred to me as "Dr. Parker." I am still getting use to the title myself. But that day I had asked Dixie and a couple other nurses about him. Dixie had nothing but good things to say, except for what she originally told me about him dating half of her nursing staff. The other nurses…let's just say their words were harsh and critical. But still, no matter what anyone said I still couldn't get him off my mind, there was just something about him.

I rolled out of bed at 4:30am to get ready to be at the hospital at six for a 24 hour shift. Every other person in my apartment complex was probably still asleep and wouldn't be waking up for quite a while since it was Labor Day. But just because it's a national holiday, people still get sick. I guess that could be a down side to working in the medical field.

I stood up and yawned, still consumed by darkness and sleep. I nearly tripped in bathroom over my two year old Dalmatian, Bentley who was stretched out across the floor. I struggled to find the light, and when I did I caught glimpse of myself in the mirror. My long chocolate brown hair was sticking up everywhere and I had major dark circles under my eyes. All I could tell was that this was going to be a long 24 hours.

Upon arriving at Rampart, everything was extremely slow. All I seemed to be doing was going through and reviewing pervious recordings that Dr. Brackett had dumped in front of me. It seemed like I had been sitting there forever until Dixie popped in.

"Valerie, we have a couple patients coming in from a car accident, we're going to need your help." And with that she walked out. On my way to the Emergency Department I looked up at the clock, 6:33. I had only been sitting there for 33 minutes. I sighed and quickly picked up my pace.

When I entered the Emergency wing, I saw Roy DeSoto and a couple of ambulance attendants wheeling in a very loud and rowdy man. Immediately Dr. Brackett rushed in after him. But then he paused for a second and turned to me, "Dr. Parker, there is another patient in Treatment Room 1 that I need you to attend too, Joe Early will be down to help you in a few minutes." I nodded my head and proceeded into Treatment Room 1, and there sitting on the examination table was Johnny Gage.

Johnny's Point of View

I had only a couple hours left on my shift, and I just had to manage to get hurt. I lifted the gauze away from my nose, and it was definitely still bleeding. I touched my nose to feel the swelling, but in return all I got was a sharp shooting pain that spread throughout my face. I sighed and placed the gauze back on my injured and obviously broken nose. I looked up just as the door was opening and she walked in.

I hadn't seen Valerie since the day I met her and it seemed like I was encountering her now under a less than ideal situation. And there I sat helpless with a fractured nose and bleeding everywhere. She broke the silence, "Hi there Johnny."

I smiled the best I could, "Hi'ya doc."

She laughed and smiled, "So what seems to be the problem?" She walked over and began examining my injury.

"Fractured nasal bone and this is what I get for trying to help a drunken guy out of his car." I shook my head.

Valerie looked at me suspiciously, "Drunk? At 6:30 in the morning? I didn't realize Labor Day was such a big day to celebrate."

"Yeah, me either. We think he was coming home from a really late night at a nearby bar, until he hit a telephone pole. At least no one else was hurt, it could have been bad."

"How's he doing? I saw Dr. Brackett and a couple nurses follow him into a treatment room."

"Eh, he's fine. Just a couple scrapes and bruises, he just doesn't understand what happened. I guess that's what happens when you've been drinking all night."

"Well it seems like he got off a lot better than you did. You're right, it's definitely broken..."

"Great, just one more thing I have to deal with…"

Just then Doctor Early walked in, "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, I think I see more of you in the ER than any other patients. Dr. Parker, what is your diagnosis?"

She answered him without pausing, "Small nasal fracture. It is not crooked, so no reduction is necessary. Treatment recommended would be icing it and taking acetaminophen for the pain."

Doctor Early did a quick examination (at my expense) for himself and turned back to Valerie, "It seems like you have everything under control Dr. Parker. I don't see any need for me here," He gave her a pat on the back, "Great job. Also Johnny? Do everything she said, we don't want to see you back in here." We all laughed as he headed out the door. I called after him, "Thanks doc!" I turned back to Valerie, "And thank you too."

She smiled placing a bandage over my nose, "That's what I'm here for. And just be careful for a while; don't get in anymore fights with drunken guys." She turned and started to leave. And before I could think I blurted out, "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

She turned around and smiled, "You know, you're the fifth paramedic who has asked me out this week." I began to mentally kick myself. Why was I such an idiot? She continued on, "And I've told them all I was extremely busy," Great, she was just going to tell me the same thing. "But I would love to have dinner with you tomorrow night." I sat there in shock. What just happened?

"Johnny?"

I snapped out of oblivion, "Yeah?"

"Would you like to pick me up or would you like me to meet you somewhere?"

"Uhh, I'll pick you up. How about 7:30?"

"Alright, I live at 1400 Willow. I'll let the doorman know you're coming. I'll see you tomorrow!" She smiled again and headed out the door.

I didn't move. I just stood basking in the moment. I, Johnny Gage, had a date with Dr. Valerie Parker. At that moment Roy walked in, ruining my thoughts. "I just came to see if you were still alive, partner." And there I stood, grinning to myself ignoring the pain the huge smile was causing. "Johnny? You alright there?"

I arched an eyebrow and said, "I got a date tomorrow for night."


	5. Chapter 5

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year's weekend! Of course, with my luck I started back to school today, which I think is way too early. But I guess that means I'll graduate sooner than later… But it started snowing earlier for the first time ever this year and I'm so excited! Anyway, I'm basically just rambling on at this point, you're here to read the story, not my life. Haha. Without further delay, here's the next Chapter in the story!

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Emergency!" or any of these characters except Dr. Valerie Parker.** Also, I am not a doctor, nor have I ever been trained in the medical field, so my info such as vital signs, diagnostics, and prescriptions may not, and probably are not accurate. But I do try and do research beforehand so I can get as accurate as possible. If I do make a mistake, and you know the correct info, please let me know and I will change it! I want to make my story as accurate as possible!

Chapter 5

Valerie's Point of View

Being able to walk out of Rampart the next morning could not have come any faster. For the past 24 hours, this was all that I could concentrate on, and because of this I got called out several times during the night. As I walked out of the Emergency Entrance I could see the sun rising off this the distance. I breathed in a breath of the crisp morning air and I could tell that this was going to be a great day, and an even better night.

When I returned to my condo, I slowly walked up the stairs to the front entrance of the building. Earl, the elderly doorman, opened the door, "Good morning Miss Parker. Another late shift at the hospital?"

I laughed, "You have no idea." I kept walking until I remembered to remind Earl about Johnny picking me up tonight, so I turned back around. "Earl, I also have a man by the name of John Gage coming by tonight at 7:30. Could you tell him my floor and room number?"

"Sure thing, Miss Parker. Do you have a date?"

I smiled to myself, thinking of Johnny yesterday morning looking shocked when I told him I would go out with him tonight. I could still picture it perfectly. He stood there in his bunker pants, suspenders, and a white V-neck t-shirt, his dark hair all a mess, and a thick bandage over his injured and bruising nose. I finally shook my head, "I sure do."

I took the elevator up to the eleventh floor, and found my room. I opened the door to find Bentley sitting there patiently waiting for me. Poor baby, he probably hadn't been on a walk since last night when I called to have my neighbor feed and walk him. I walked to the kitchen to fetch his leash when I saw a note on the refrigerator, _"Valerie, I sent Roger over at 5:30 this morning to walk and feed Bentley his breakfast. I knew you probably had a late night at the hospital and thought you would want to sleep. Don't worry, it was not a problem for Roger, he was already up. Talk to you soon, Shirley."_ Shirley and her husband Roger were the sweetest and kindest people I knew. I met them when I started medical school at USC and first moved into my condominium. And when I adopted Bentley, they were more than happy to help out in return for having dinner with them once a week. I thought that the trade-off was and still is uneven, and I've tried to pay them every time, but they insist that I shouldn't. They were a couple in their late 50s who never had children, so they considered me almost as a daughter since my father and step-mother live far away. And if having dinner with them once a week made them happy, it was the least I could do.

I walked into my bedroom and changed out of my starchy scrubs and closed the blinds so it appeared to be nighttime. Turning around, I noticed Bentley had spread out across the entire queen size bed. I giggled, "I don't think so…" I scooted him over so I could have at least half of the bed. And as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.

Johnny's Point of View

For the past two days I have been preparing for this date with Valerie. I made reservations for a little Italian restaurant downtown, and hell, I even bought a new coat. Normally with all the other girls, I would take them out to dinner and try to get them to come back to my place, which sometimes never happened. But I have come to realize in the past day or so, that Valerie was different. She chose me over five other paramedics, and I was not about to screw this up. And that's what Roy suggested, being the older, wiser friend of mine. Even the Captain was giving me of all people girl advice.

_Flashback_

_ Roy and I returned to the station just as everyone was finishing their breakfast. Cap was the one to speak first, "So Johnny, what's the prognosis?" I was just about to respond when Roy responded for me, "Johnny's going to live. A little fractured nose, he'll be fine."_

_I snapped back, "Hey, that's what I was going to say…" _

"_Well I just thought you were going to tell them about your other news." Everyone looked back to me with confused expressions on their faces. How could I almost forget? Actually there was no way I could forget that. Of course Chet had to inject his own thoughts, "Well Gage, what is it? Are you sure you don't have brain damage or something?"_

"_No, I don't have brain damage. But… I do have a date tomorrow night with Valerie."_

_Cap injected, "See John, what did I tell you?" _

"_Yeah, I admit you were right, Cap. I wasn't even the first one either. Apparently five other paramedics asked her out this week, and she told them all no. Except for me."_

"_Now John, Roy's told me about her and she seems like a nice girl. She isn't something to play one of your games with. Don't screw this up." _

Cap had no idea how much his words really did sink in. I didn't know hardly anything about this girl, but everyone I know seems to know more about her than I do. And by the way everyone is acting it seems like they all want me to finally settle down with a nice girl. I was not about to treat her like every other girl I've gone out with.

At 7:30, I pulled up in front of a very large building. I looked up the grand staircase that led up to the exquisite entrance of the building and I turned off the engine on my Range Rover. Surprisingly, I was actually kind of nervous for tonight, but I was trying to not let that show. I walked up to the door and didn't know what to do. Valerie mentioned something about a doorman, but I didn't see a doorman anywhere. Suddenly, an elderly man walked up from the inside and opened the door, "Welcome to The Winston on Willow." I walked inside the grand lobby. I must have looked confused because the man cleared his throat next to me. "You wouldn't happen to be John Gage would you?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Miss Parker said that she was expecting you. She lives on the eleventh floor, number 1104. Would you like me to have someone escort you there?"

"Um, I think I can find my way there. Thanks though." The doorman nodded his head. Geez, this place was nice. I knew doctors made some money, but I didn't know a new intern would have made enough to live here.

Waiting in the elevator, I glanced at my watch. It was 7:36. I hope she didn't mind me being a little late. When the elevator doors opened on the eleventh floor I saw a sign that pointed to the right for apartments 1103-1104. Following the signs directions, I strolled to the end of the hallway. I took a deep breath and knocked. I soon as I did, the continuous bark of a large dog sounded behind the door. I gulped. The door unlocked, but didn't open and I could hear her voice scolding the dog, "Bentley! Shh! Sit and be a good boy." And as soon as she said that the barking stopped and the door swung open revealing a very put together girl. Valerie looked completely different than she did in her white scrubs, and that definitely wasn't a bad thing. She had on a long, black, strapless jumpsuit and a large silver necklace. Her chocolate brown hair was curled almost exactly like Farrah Fawcett's. She also had the perfect amount of makeup on, not too much, not too little, but just enough to make her golden-hazel eyes pop. No one would have ever guessed that this girl standing in front of me was a doctor and not a model.

"Hi Johnny! I was just finishing getting ready." She smiled revealing a mouth full of perfectly white and straight teeth.

"Wow Valerie, you look amazing." I could have at least said hi to her before I got carried away.

All she did was laugh, "Thanks! Come on in, I've just got to get my shoes then I'll be ready." As I walked in I looked around. Her apartment looked like a picture out of a magazine. It was very well decorated in a modern and very contemporary theme. Who was this girl? Just then I heard the barking again. I noticed a large Dalmatian sitting a couple feet in front of me. I squatted down and he playfully ran up to me. I petted him on the head, "Hey there boy."

Valerie chuckled, "Johnny, this is Bentley. Bentley this is Johnny." I continued petting Bentley and didn't realize Valerie leave and return with shoes and her purse.

"I think he likes you Johnny."

I looked up at her, "Well, I like him too. I kind of have a thing for Dalmatians; it must be something firemen have engrained in them." I gave Bentley one last pat on the back and stood up, "Are you ready to go?" She shook her head yes and we headed out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Yay yay yay, two chapters in one night! I'm so proud of myself : ) Anyway, if you haven't guessed this chapter is Johnny and Valerie's date, so I won't keep anyone waiting. I wanted to make it perfect, and I think I got it, so let me know what you guys think! And thanks you to anyone who reviewed my last chapters, I forgot to mention this in my last AN, I guess I was too busy rambling…Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Emergency!" or any of these characters except Dr. Valerie Parker. **Also, I am not a doctor, nor have I ever been trained in the medical field, so my info such as vital signs, diagnostics, and prescriptions may not, and probably are not accurate. But I do try and do research beforehand so I can get as accurate as possible. If I do make a mistake, and you know the correct info, please let me know and I will change it! I want to make my story as accurate as possible!

Chapter 6

Johnny's Point of View

All the way to the car, we carried on small talk about our days and her shift at the hospital. Approaching the car I picked up my pace so I could open her door for her.

"Why thank you; such a gentleman." I smiled at her comment. As I climbed in the driver's seat, I looked over and she had a concerned look on her face.

"I completely forgot to ask, how's your nose? The swelling looks better, but the bruising, not so much." I reached up touching the bandage on my nose. I had forgotten about the entire thing. Great, I probably looked horrible.

"Um, it's not so bad. I kind of forgot about it actually." Only halfway joking, I continued, "Sorry for looking like I just gotten beat up…"

She changed her expression, "Seriously," And then laughed, "I think you look absolutely handsome. I should be sorry for being a bad doctor and not checking up on my patient."

"Well, you have an excuse; we aren't exactly on the job tonight are we?" And with that, it led into more conversation about everything from previous runs I had thought were funny, to her dog Bentley and how he got his name. And I swear this girl just keeps getting more and more amazing. Get this, her dog was named after the car company Bentley, and she is interested in cars. How many guys know a girl, who is smart, looks like a model, AND knows about cars?

When we arrived to the restaurant, we didn't have to wait due to the previous reservations. We sat down we continued on our previous topic of conversation. There was always something to talk about, and I don't think we stopped. I learned a lot about her in this short time of talking, and found out we actually had things in common. And I'll have to add this to my list of things that make her perfect; she likes the outdoors and camping. Who would have ever known?

The waitress soon brought both of our dishes. As we started eating, Valerie asked, "Johnny, so what inspired you to be a paramedic?" I looked up and thought for a moment.

"Well, I started out as a fireman and trained as a rescue man. But back then when we were called to a scene, we knew something was wrong with a patient, but we could never treat them. The only thing we were allowed to use was oxygen and CPR if we knew it. I was completely against the program at first, but Roy and an unfortunate cardiac arrest really convinced me and helped me through the training. Dixie really helped me too. But Dr. Brackett was another story…"

She looked shocked, "How so?"

"He didn't support the program either. The Paramedic Bill hadn't passed yet and he refused to support it. He would have rather trained more doctors. But after some time he finally came through, and I guess that's why I'm here today. What about you? Did you always want to be a doctor?"

Like me, she thought for a second. "Not really, I guess. I mean I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do," I noticed a change in the tone of her story. "I was in my sophomore year of high school when my mom was diagnosed with a tumor inside her brain and something went wrong during the surgery to remove it. They lost her in the operating room."

"I'm so sorry…" I didn't know what else to say. I definitely wasn't prepared for that.

She shook her head, "No it's alright." The tone changed again, but this time to her normal upbeat self. "So that's when I decided to go into medicine. So I got my Bachelors and MD from USC. And I'm not sure how I ended up with a residency at Rampart under Dr. Brackett though. He's known throughout the entire country for his work in Emergency Medicine. And here, I didn't even go to an Ivy League school."

"Well, I 'm glad you got the job because if you hadn't I wouldn't have met you." I could see a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks. I held up my glass, "To our jobs."

She nodded and held up her glass as well, "To us." I grinned as our glasses clinked. Valerie was completely exceeding my expectations, she was perfect.

After I paid for our meal (which she completely protested against), we walked outside into the September night. For being Southern California, it was definitely colder than normal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Valerie shiver and cross her arms in front of her for warmth. I slid my sports coat off and motioned for her to put her arms through the oversize arm holes.

"I can't take your jacket, you'll be cold now!" She complained.

"Valerie, please don't be unreasonable. I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt, I'll be fine. I can't have you getting sick. If you do, Dr. Brackett and Dixie will both have my head." Even though, that last statement was true, I really didn't want to see her getting sick myself. She finally gave up and put my jacket on. "See, there, it goes perfectly with your outfit." She laughed and playfully hit me on the arm.

"You Mr. Gage, know nothing about women's fashion."

I put my hands up in defense. I have to admit, the jacket didn't go with her outfit, but it did look good on her.

By the time I knew it we were sitting in front of her apartment building. She looked over to me, "I had a lot of fun tonight."

I truthfully answered back, "Me too," I was actually sad it was over. She started to take off my jacket, and a quickly stopped her. "Go ahead and keep it, you're going to be cold going up to your room. I'll just get it later."

She smiled one of her dazzling smiles, "So does that mean we are on for another date?"

I nodded my head, "I think so."

Her smile got even bigger, "Don't you work tomorrow?" I nodded my head once again. "Me too, so I will see you tomorrow." She then leaned over the console and kissed my cheek, "Thank you Johnny." And with that she got out a started walking toward the entrance of her building. I wasn't expecting that, and it's definitely not how I would have wanted things to go, normally. But this time, it made me happy. She was the most amazing girl I have ever met. All I could tell at this point was that Valerie Parker was a keeper.


End file.
